Spirals of Truth and Lies
by Cassandra's Paradox
Summary: How could someone blessed with such power live without conviction? A Cassandra-centric poem about her life, love, and curse. It fills in where the myth was fuzzy! Rated T for character death... but it rhymes!


**Alright, everyone! This is my first posted poem, which I had to write for English class, so bear with me. I've always admired Cassandra and Apollo's relationship, so I thought I might take a crack at it. Most of their mythology is fuzzy around the edges, so I cleared it up. _My way. _  
**

**Here's my attempt, enjoy!**

* * *

Herein lies the story of a god's love for a mortal

and her fateful entrance that night through his temple's massive portal.

It sparked the passion by and by which forever would remain

between Apollo and Cassandra; love that bonds could not contain.

xxxxx

It all commenced that fateful day; Cassandra tiredly

entered through the temple's doors which stood quite near the sea.

She had been cast out from her house by her father's ire

because of her indifference to his latest feast attire.

A silly thing, as all must think, but Priam wasn't joking

and so his daughter left the palace, fragile ego smoking.

xxxxx

Through paths and twists and turns she walked, all of them the same

'til to Apollo's temple's steps like moth to floating flame

she was drawn in with shining power, so quickening her pace

she ambled up the golden steps, and standing face to face

was the god himself, Apollo! His magnificence untamed

with golden curls of lustrous hair which kept his face so framed

and angelic, and cherubic, and words which cannot measure

her quickly formulating thoughts of sole immortal pleasure.

xxxxx

Cassandra herself was a girl of calculating wit

with which each move of her dread game was found a benefit.

She wanted only one thing from this god who stood upright,

so matching gazes with him, she asked the gift of foresight.

xxxxx

Apollo stared, as it is hard to surprise an immortal,

with fiery wit she stared right back until he gave a chortle

and swept her up with one great arm

in which she sat with no alarm

as though this was a daily practice-

Apollo, though seemed very tactless.

xxxxx

He flew her high above his shrine

and further past the blue coastline

until they reached Mount Ida's cave

where she put on a front so brave

that he was drawn to her again.

She knew so little, up 'til then

she couldn't bear this silence dark,

and broke it with few words: a spark.

xxxxx

Cassandra wanted their deal struck

and she was wonderfully in luck;

Apollo, lustful from her beauty

had forgotten his own duty:

to keep the mortals, so hubristic,

from driving gods themselves ballistic!

xxxxx

These rules apply to women too

but he forgot, and overdue

was his response to her inquiry:

"What use is it to you so wiry

a body in and of itself

that could be peddled on a shelf-

I'd rather have you all mine own

Instead of life with endless drone

Which you would have to suffer through-

That life, a girl alike would rue."

xxxxx

Cassandra knew he spoke the truth

but his suggestions were uncouth

and she was looking for some more,

which would make him quite earsore.

xxxxx

"Now foresight is all that I ask

to flow from your so gifted flask

filled up with music, art to teach,

but towards the foresight I must reach."

xxxxx

"Foresight, you want? Then let's agree

that you will have this sight, only

with quite a beneficial factor

that I might add as an enactor.

Your body, for my gifts, I say

because I know there'll be a day

when you will see my point of view

and you will also want me too."

xxxxx

Cassandra agreed to the deal

which in itself would certain seal

her fate and her own people's too.

And even though she had a slew

of questions for the god alone,

he would just simply not condone

her actions after foresight given

offered all that she had striven.

xxxxx

To show Apollo what she's made of-

and trust me, you would be afraid of

that girl and every calculation

which she had made for the duration

of her short and sweet affair

in a god's small cave-like lair.

xxxxx

He drew her closer: with a kiss

she was drawn in- but some remiss

detail of her own working mind

had fate planned out to her own kind.

xxxxx

Her body wasn't his to take!

So throwing him off with a shake

she said, "I'm blessed with foresight's fire

and now I'm in a strait so dire

that you think you have power, no!

Into your arms I'd never go."

xxxxx

Apollo flinched, a muttered curse

which would make her life so perverse-

he sent her back with angry wrath

and though she had done all her math

the time which she returned to home

Was just the same as she had gone!

xxxxx

Could it have been a dream? Perhaps,

but would it explain the time-lapse

of only seconds; through the hall

she could still hear her father's call.

Opinions of his dressing clothes

were shouted at the upturned nose

that Priam held himself, so she

was stumped by this great mystery.

xxxxx

She hastened from the bare hallway

to gather thoughts in her stairway

that led up to her own great room-

she'd sleep on it, find answers soon.

xxxxx

When she was wakened the next day

she soon had something sharp to say.

To mom, Hecuba, sweeping in

she greeted with a small faint grin.

Cassandra opened up her mouth

when suddenly, her thoughts went south

with visions of the past, before.

She had no question anymore.

xxxxx

Excited by this godly gift,

Cassandra prophesized a rift

between the nations in the treaty;

a deftly turned back on fealty.

xxxxx

Cassandra's words fell deaf upon

the ears of all whom would be gone

when finally her predicted battle

put an end to mindless prattle.

She had expected all of this

but had no time to reminisce

about her visions that were seen

as lies and deceit in between.

xxxxx

No one took her words as truth-

the curse Apollo sent was proof

of her now damned gift of god

down paths which she had never trod.

xxxxx

She watched the future twist and turn

and 'round one corner, watched Troy burn.

But did this bother her? No way!

For she could change fate in one day.

xxxxx

But one small part of her great plan

suddenly became overran

and she could not control the tide...

It must be gods not on her side!

xxxxx

So when Hector, the eldest son

left to make the countries one,

he took Paris as well of course-

for the Greek kings would so endorse

the vows from Trojan princes, two,

that would ensure there was no coup.

xxxxx

With Greece, together, Troy would flourish

and to itself, in turn, would nourish

the coming of a vast new age:

of heroes filled with smoldered rage.

xxxxx

She saw the death of Troy at hand,

proclaimed it too! But no demand

to stopping this so foul attack

of visions which she had a knack.

xxxxx

The war continued, ten years gone:

Cassandra fell into anon.

xxxxx

She yearned for him all through her life,

though it seemed filled with endless strife

after the Greeks had won (she knew)

her life was fated through and through:

that no matter how hard she tried

in Greece, far from her home, she died.

xxxxx

And all she wanted from her death

was a drink from river Lethe

which would bury memories gone.

A blank mind 'bout Agamemnon-

but mostly it would mend the hollow

in her heart from brash Apollo.

xxxxx

When judgment came, the choice was clear:

There was no god or mortal near

who would quite dare associate

with she who had the tongue of fate.

Rhadamanthus, Aeacus as well

were judges who had knowledge, tell

of Minos, greater than the two

who jointly found that most untrue

she had been in her life, and so

to river Lethe she wouldn't go.

xxxxx

Cassandra cried and with remorse

she tried to change fate's dreaded course

but as we know, it can't be done

without the help of only one

but take the year into account

and you will find that those about

did not just worship God alone

but many more, with names unknown.

xxxxx

It would but take some loving god

to free her from the path she trod

in life, and now as punishment

in death as well, a detriment.

Insanity overtook hope

and she herself would never cope.

xxxxx

She would live with the memories

of all whom she would just displease

with every cursed word she said-

misfortune would be in their stead.

xxxxx

She caused the Trojan War, they'd say

though we do know it to this day

that Helen was the real beginning

of that great war, loyalty spinning.

xxxxx

But truth is not what people see

for through their eyes they see only

the safe truths which they fabricate

to hide their faces from vast hate.

The world comes at them 'round the bend

with which many cannot contend.

xxxxx

A seer is given, a gift from a god

and yet they do not cease to trod

on their eternal road, tedium.

They cannot spot this medium.

xxxxx

Cassandra, always cursed be

would then live her life fatefully

out in fields of monotony

when her grief from her tragedy

would stay and then forever be

a mortal's remnant, a god's story.

* * *

**Good? Bad? Ugly?**

**Classicists and poets alike, review! **

**--CP**

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End file.
